Syllabus THEA2110: Voices of Diversity in Contemporary American Drama and Theatre Spring 2017 Instructor:
Dr. Farley Richmond
Office: Fine Arts #367
Cell Phone: 706-254-5374
It is best to reach me by email: Richmond@uga.edu
I may be out of town from time to time but generally it is possible to reach me thru email. If you must telephone me for any reason, please do not do so between the hours of 8pm and 8am seven days a week.
Goals:
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the rich array of drama and theatre that has been created by and for all Americans. The plays are windows into many worlds of experience as made vivid mainly, but not exclusively, through the eyes of women playwrights. We are using a packet of essays and plays available from Bel-Jean Printing in Athens, Georgia. You must purchase several plays on your own, as indicated below. Among the subjects we will examine are the language of expression, the characters, the themes that arise out of the works, the importance of design to the creation of the worlds of each of the plays onstage, and the multiple and complex foci on diversity.
Required Texts and Video Material:
Bel-Jean Printing Packet containing articles on diversity, ethnic theatre in America and the following plays: Wedding Band, Execution of Justice, Split Second, and Yankee Dawg You Die. If you are on campus please go into their shop at 163 E. Broad Street; Athens, GA 30601 and purchase the packet. It costs about $28. Obviously, there are no shipping charges if you purchase the packet at the store. If you want to purchase the packet and pay for it with a credit card and have it mailed to you please telephone Haven Luke who is the campus representative. Telephone 706-548-3648 to place an order. You may also email him at campusrep@bel-jean.com
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Please download a pdf copy of the play from the Download section of the wiki.
Aoki, Brenda Wong. The Queen’s Garden is available in the Downloads section of the wiki. An Audio CD is on reserve or you may purchase it from Amazon for $9.99.
Highway, Tompson. Rez Sisters. (Type Rez Sisters in the search engine of Amazon and various priced versions of the play will be indicated some as little as a penny plus shipping). More expensive versions may be obtained in collections of various kinds.
Cleage, Pearl. A Study Guide for Flyin’ West is available on Kindle for $3.99 or paperbacks of the play are available from Amazon for $3.38.
Smith, Anna Deavere. Fires in the Mirror. NY: Dramatist Play Service. Amazon Paperback $9.00; Kindle $11.99; Library Binding $16.55, etc.
Lopez, Josephina. Real Women Have Curves. Amazon Paperback $8.95, as well as other options.
Hudes, Quiarn Alegria. Water by the Spoonful is available for $8.55 on Kindle or for $13.04 in paperback from Amazon.
Valdez, Luis. Zoot Suit and Other Plays. Amazon $8.95 and other options.
Zoot Suit DVD Amazon buy for $19.30. Different options to rent or buy from $3.99 to $13.99. A video copy of the production is on reserve.
Ayad Akhtar. Disgraced. Play available from Amazon Kindle $9.99 or various other prices and options.
Approximate cost for all the reading and media: About $100.
Methods:
Most of your practical work will take place on 2110voices.wikispaces.com. Download and read the powerpoint found on the ELC homepage for detailed instruction regarding how to join the wiki.
Besides the classroom discussions and activities you may work independently on the wiki but you occasionally collaborate with your peers in the course to answer some of the questions either in the Projects section or on Discussion pages. At times you submit your replies directly to the instructor in class.
Attendance Policy:
There is no attendance policy. But you should note that by not coming to class and doing the assigned work on the designated deadlines you loose points and thus will effect your final grade in the course.
Participation Policy:
Note that you have access to all the materials in the course and may want to do work in advance of when it is due.
Evaluation:
See the Grading Procedures Below.
Assignments Descriptions:
1. To see specific assignments for each of the plays, simply click on the play title on the wiki. Collectively the writing assignments on the Discussion pages, Project pages, or elsewhere are worth 42 points.
2. One worksheet for each of 14 plays is required. The particular worksheet on each play tests your ability to understand the play’s dramatic structure, characters, and particular themes as they relate to questions of diversity. A maximum of 42 points may be earned for this effort.
3. Often, but not always there is a worksheet to be completed for a play to test your ability to explore the potential staging of the play and the impact that may have on its reception. A maximum of 42 points may be earned by completing these worksheets.
4. Finally, you must prepare and submit a short research paper or Powerpoint Presentation to the instructor on the following subject: Select another play by one of the authors we are reading this semester and discuss its major themes, style of composition, language, the characters and contribution to your understanding of questions of diversity, etc. The paper should be double-spaced, typed and at least five pages long. It must include a bibliography or works cited. Do not rely exclusively (or even at all) on the Internet as a source of your information. Be sure to include your name on the paper or presentation. 16 points may be earned.
Grading Procedures:
By successfully completing each of your tasks you will receive points. A Maximum of 150 points is possible, if you complete all of your assignments to my satisfaction. Below is the grading scale:
126–150 points A
101–125 points B
76–100 points C
51–75 points D
Below 51 points F
You should be prepared to track your accomplishments as I will do.
A special feature of this system is that once you reach 126 points you will not need to continue to submit assignments because you will have earned an A! Of course if you want to continue to earn points you may do so.
Final Note:Warning! Warning! University policy on academic dishonesty will most definitely be enforced. A person caught violating this policy may be dismissed from the university, so please consult the policy connected to the ELC homepage for this course and follow it.
If you have a disability and require classroom accommodations, please contact me to discuss this matter.
THEA2110: Voices of Diversity in Contemporary American Drama and Theatre
Spring 2017
Instructor:
Dr. Farley Richmond
Office: Fine Arts #367
Cell Phone: 706-254-5374
It is best to reach me by email: Richmond@uga.edu
I may be out of town from time to time but generally it is possible to reach me thru email. If you must telephone me for any reason, please do not do so between the hours of 8pm and 8am seven days a week.
Goals:
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the rich array of drama and theatre that has been created by and for all Americans. The plays are windows into many worlds of experience as made vivid mainly, but not exclusively, through the eyes of women playwrights. We are using a packet of essays and plays available from Bel-Jean Printing in Athens, Georgia. You must purchase several plays on your own, as indicated below. Among the subjects we will examine are the language of expression, the characters, the themes that arise out of the works, the importance of design to the creation of the worlds of each of the plays onstage, and the multiple and complex foci on diversity.
Required Texts and Video Material:
Bel-Jean Printing Packet containing articles on diversity, ethnic theatre in America and the following plays: Wedding Band, Execution of Justice, Split Second, and Yankee Dawg You Die. If you are on campus please go into their shop at 163 E. Broad Street; Athens, GA 30601 and purchase the packet. It costs about $28. Obviously, there are no shipping charges if you purchase the packet at the store. If you want to purchase the packet and pay for it with a credit card and have it mailed to you please telephone Haven Luke who is the campus representative. Telephone 706-548-3648 to place an order. You may also email him at campusrep@bel-jean.com
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Please download a pdf copy of the play from the Download section of the wiki.
Aoki, Brenda Wong. The Queen’s Garden is available in the Downloads section of the wiki. An Audio CD is on reserve or you may purchase it from Amazon for $9.99.
Highway, Tompson. Rez Sisters. (Type Rez Sisters in the search engine of Amazon and various priced versions of the play will be indicated some as little as a penny plus shipping). More expensive versions may be obtained in collections of various kinds.
Cleage, Pearl. A Study Guide for Flyin’ West is available on Kindle for $3.99 or paperbacks of the play are available from Amazon for $3.38.
Smith, Anna Deavere. Fires in the Mirror. NY: Dramatist Play Service. Amazon Paperback $9.00; Kindle $11.99; Library Binding $16.55, etc.
Lopez, Josephina. Real Women Have Curves. Amazon Paperback $8.95, as well as other options.
Hudes, Quiarn Alegria. Water by the Spoonful is available for $8.55 on Kindle or for $13.04 in paperback from Amazon.
Valdez, Luis. Zoot Suit and Other Plays. Amazon $8.95 and other options.
Zoot Suit DVD Amazon buy for $19.30. Different options to rent or buy from $3.99 to $13.99. A video copy of the production is on reserve.
Ayad Akhtar. Disgraced. Play available from Amazon Kindle $9.99 or various other prices and options.
Approximate cost for all the reading and media: About $100.
Methods:
Most of your practical work will take place on 2110voices.wikispaces.com. Download and read the powerpoint found on the ELC homepage for detailed instruction regarding how to join the wiki.
Besides the classroom discussions and activities you may work independently on the wiki but you occasionally collaborate with your peers in the course to answer some of the questions either in the Projects section or on Discussion pages. At times you submit your replies directly to the instructor in class.
Attendance Policy:
There is no attendance policy. But you should note that by not coming to class and doing the assigned work on the designated deadlines you loose points and thus will effect your final grade in the course.
Participation Policy:
Note that you have access to all the materials in the course and may want to do work in advance of when it is due.
Evaluation:
See the Grading Procedures Below.
Assignments Descriptions:
1. To see specific assignments for each of the plays, simply click on the play title on the wiki. Collectively the writing assignments on the Discussion pages, Project pages, or elsewhere are worth 42 points.
2. One worksheet for each of 14 plays is required. The particular worksheet on each play tests your ability to understand the play’s dramatic structure, characters, and particular themes as they relate to questions of diversity. A maximum of 42 points may be earned for this effort.
3. Often, but not always there is a worksheet to be completed for a play to test your ability to explore the potential staging of the play and the impact that may have on its reception. A maximum of 42 points may be earned by completing these worksheets.
4. Finally, you must prepare and submit a short research paper or Powerpoint Presentation to the instructor on the following subject: Select another play by one of the authors we are reading this semester and discuss its major themes, style of composition, language, the characters and contribution to your understanding of questions of diversity, etc. The paper should be double-spaced, typed and at least five pages long. It must include a bibliography or works cited. Do not rely exclusively (or even at all) on the Internet as a source of your information. Be sure to include your name on the paper or presentation. 16 points may be earned.
Grading Procedures:
By successfully completing each of your tasks you will receive points. A Maximum of 150 points is possible, if you complete all of your assignments to my satisfaction. Below is the grading scale:
126–150 points A
101–125 points B
76–100 points C
51–75 points D
Below 51 points F
You should be prepared to track your accomplishments as I will do.
A special feature of this system is that once you reach 126 points you will not need to continue to submit assignments because you will have earned an A! Of course if you want to continue to earn points you may do so.
Final Note:Warning! Warning! University policy on academic dishonesty will most definitely be enforced. A person caught violating this policy may be dismissed from the university, so please consult the policy connected to the ELC homepage for this course and follow it.
If you have a disability and require classroom accommodations, please contact me to discuss this matter.